MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, WATER AND FORESTRY

Query: What services are offered under the dry-land crop production programmes in the ministry?

Response: Government through the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry will continue to promote programmes and projects aimed at increasing food production as well as improving dry-land crop production and productivity. The dry-land crop production programme services include: ploughing, planting, fertilizer applications, pesticide and herbicide applications, and ripping services and seeds.

The dry-land crop production programme is also aimed at providing services to farmers to improve dry-land crop production and ultimately high yield and food security per household and nationally.

Query: How many tractors are allocated to Omusati Region?

Response: In total there are 19 tractors in Omusati Region – 12 large 4x4s are used for ploughing and ripping or any other heavy duty, while 6 small 4x4s are used for lighter duties like planting plus fertilizer applications, chemical applications (pesticides and herbicides).

Each constituency in the region is allocated a large 4×4 tractor, which provides services to the communities. The extension technician and the councillor in that constituency will work together to make sure that communal farmers receive the tractors.
The small 4×4 tractors are running throughout the regions as requested by individual farmers who indicate their wishes to use the services through the agriculture technicians in their constituencies.

Query: How many and what types of seeds did the ministry of agriculture provide to the communal farmers this year?

Response: The ministry has sent 110 000 kilogrammes of free pearl millet seeds for drought relief for 2015/2016 to our agriculture scientific officers in the regions. The seeds will be distributed to MAWF agricultural development centres (ADCs) in all regions and the ADCs in collaboration with the councillors will distribute the seeds the communal farmers.

A total of 20 000 kilogrammes of free cowpea seeds was sent to the ADCs in all regions for distribution to the communal farmers.
Meanwhile 100 000 kilogrammes of free maize seeds were also sent to the ADCs in all regions for distribution to communal farmers.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry has also sent 90 000 kilogrammes of seeds for distribution to communal farmers, which government is subsidizing.

The ministry will put more emphasis on the Dry-Land Crop Production Programme in order to support the majority of households who depend on rain-fed crop farming for subsistence and incomes from surplus.
Margaret S. Kalo, Senior Public Relations Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, E-mail: kalom@mawrd.gov.na